President signs bill introducing PET bottle deposits

Deposits for PET bottles and aluminium cans will be a reality in Slovakia starting in the year 2022. A bill to that effect submitted by the Environment Ministry was signed into law on Tuesday by President Zuzana Čaputová, after 121 MPs had voted in favour of it. Deposits will be 12 cents per PET bottle and 10 cents per can. Slovakia is the first country in Central Europe to introduce PET bottle deposits, according to the Ministry. The law aims to significantly reduce the amount of plastic beverage packaging thrown away carelessly. According to the ministry, approximately one billion new PET bottles come into circulation in Slovakia each year. Of these, up to 400 million end up at landfill sites. Not all stores will be obliged to introduce the deposits, however. It will only be mandatory for those with over 300 square metres of floor space. The ministry anticipates, however, that many smaller stores will adopt the system over time.